Chronic Pain & Life

Coping skills are things we use to get through our day to day life, the ups and downs with being human. Our actions or re-actions are often affected by our experiences and our emotions. How we are feeling on any given day, particularly if we're in a negative mood or feeling our pain, can affect how we cope and how we interact with those around us.

Whether you live with pain or not, life requires coping skills. With chronic pain, having a skill set that is empowering and encouraging will lessen the impact chronic pain can have on our lives.

Positive coping skills are things we do that are calming, encourage personal growth and improvement. With the use of positive coping skills, we are empowered to take a more positive pro-active approach with our lives. Our behaviours can be changed, and our goals can be reached

Negative coping skills are things we do that perpetuates the cycle of negativity. With the use of negative coping skills, we are keeping ourselves from being able to move forward in a healthy productive manner. Some negative coping skills can be physically harmful, some even deadly.

Here are just a few examples:

Positive Skills

going for a walk

listening to music

spending time with family and friends

play, art and music therapy

talking with a counsellor

support groups

relaxation/meditation

Negative Skills

avoiding social functions

addiction, abuse or use of illegal substances

causing harm to oneself

self-isolation

avoiding family and friends

avoiding activities you enjoy

ignoring personal needs

Now that you have an idea of what coping skills are, what do you do that would be considered a positive coping skill? What do you do that would be considered a negative coping skill? Please take the time to write your own list. When you are struggling, go back to your list of positive skills to help you through. The more you use your positive skills the easier they will come to you.. Until then, you may want to carry your list with you to remind you of your positive choices.

We all have things that happen to us in life........it's how we respond to it that counts.